Storylines

This week on Storylines, the voices of Canadian World War One soldiers, sharing their stories of the front lines. You’ll hear these veterans talk about poison gas attacks, shellfire, the mud, the air war, and even the food.   The stories come from interviews with World War One veterans done for the CBC program Flanders Fields which first aired on November 11, 1964. Also, a story from Montreal about a century-old Catholic church that faced a dilemma over what to do with its bells.After the bell tower was damaged, the church faced the prospect of losing bells that had rung out for generations during worship services, weddings, and funerals. Instead, the choir director at Sacré-Coeur-de-Jésus found a way to preserve them, ensuring they will continue to resonate with the congregation and community for years to come.Produced and reported by Simon Nakonechny and originally aired on The Sunday Magazine. Hear the Soldiers of WW1 Speak was produced by Craig DessonStorylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

In 2013, American psychologist James Hardt made a promise to Indigenous kids in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. He said his brainwave training would transform their lives by increasing IQ, curing mental health issues and potentially giving them superpowers like levitation. Perhaps the most surprising thing — he convinced the Prince Albert School Board and the research ethics board at the University of Regina — to approve this proposal, allowing him to experiment on these children.   On this week’s Storylines, investigative journalist Geoff Leo uncovers the disturbing details of what went on during this brainwave training that targeted vulnerable children.Reported by Geoff Leo and produced by Joan Webber & originally aired on The Current in June 2024. Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

On this week's Storylines, we start on January 6, 2021, when the U.S. Capitol was overrun by riotersA few blocks away, as the dramatic scenes unfolded, CBC journalist Katie Nicholson was confronted by a group of angry Trump supporters who heckled her and said she should get out of their country. One woman accused her of “spewing BS” and said that she and her crew should run. Ever since that day Katie has been thinking about who those people were, and what compelled them to join the crowd marching to the Capitol. Now, with the U.S. in the midst of a volatile election campaign, she also wondered if their thinking has changedSo she decided to track down the women who told her to run. It turns out the woman's name is Tracey Danka and she lives in North Carolina. Tracey invited Katie to her home to talk about what happened that day and the deepening political divide in America.In Katie’s documentary we learn surprising information about Tracey, including the fact she’s married to a Democrat.Also, the story of Robert Miniaci, a master of the lost art of projector repair. While most cinemas use digital projectors, museums and film devotees still depend on the analogue ones. That’s where Robert comes in: from his garage in Montreal he repairs projectors that are used around the world. Katie Nicholson’s doc was produced by Liz Hoath and originally aired on The Current.  The documentary on Robert Miniaci was produced by Craig Desson and Julia Pagel and originally aired last April on The Sunday Magazine. Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

Some twenty five years ago, in a small, nondescript building in downtown Tokyo, children gather to look at a suitcase displayed behind glass. They write poems and draw pictures about the suitcase because of the tragedy it represents. The suitcase came from Auschwitz. This suitcase belonged to Hana Brady, who was born in the Czech Republic, and whose life was brutally cut short by the Holocaust. She was first deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp in 1942, and then to Auschwitz in 1944 where she died at the age of 13. A Holocaust education center in Tokyo acquired the suitcase with no further information about Hana. So, its director, Fumiko Ishioka, made it her mission to find out more of Hana's story.Her search brought her to Toronto and George Brady. He is Hana’s older brother, the only member of their immediate family to survive. For him, the reappearance of the suitcase in Japan, 57 years after Hana’s death, was absolutely astonishing.  Produced by Karen Levine/originally aired in 2001 on The Sunday Edition Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

Tiny forests are taking root around the world. These dense forests, often the size of a tennis court, are jam-packed with trees. The density means the forest grows faster, which has made them popular in communities who want to grow forest canopy, making them a popular trend in urban and suburban areas.But do tiny forests live up to the hype?Join CBC climate reporter Ben Shingler as he explores this forest phenomenon. Ben takes us on a journey that goes to a tiny forest college students are planting in Montreal, and to Japan to hear the origin story of this movement. On the way we’ll hear from experts about what they think about tiny forests. Plus, a replay of a CBC Radio classic documentary: The Change in Farming. This doc is about Adam Goddard, a young Toronto composer, and his 90-year-old grandfather, Henry Haws, a lifelong farmer. Adam isn’t a farmer but wants to honour his family’s farming past by doing what he does best, so he records his grandfather talking about farming and puts it to music. Tiny Forests was reported by Ben Shingler and produced by Craig Desson and Catherine Rolfsen. Originally aired on What on Earth. Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit 

In 2015, Yasser El Tahan picked up a stranger while off roading in Newfoundland. Days later, Yasser learned that the man he’d taken into the woods was a missing person named Jonathan Hannaford. Jonathan would be found a few days later, but this chance encounter on a country road haunted Yasser. So he decided to find Jonathan and talk to him about what happened that day. In this documentary, Yasser and Jonathan reconnect to retrace their steps. Together, they dig into what led to Jonathan’s disappearance and what happened after Yasser dropped him off. Reported by Yasser El Tahan and produced by Caroline Hillier / Originally aired on Atlantic Voice Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit 

She pretended to be a nurse in Colorado, Ontario, Alberta and B.C., posed as a teacher in Alberta and Quebec and worked as a hairstylist in multiple cities.And no matter how many times this serial imposter ends up behind bars, Brigitte Cleroux just keeps returning to her life of deception.In the documentary, “The Professional,” Bethany Lindsay follows Cleroux as she zig-zags across North America, racking up criminal convictions along the way. Disturbed patients, a bullied former student and a whistleblowing nurse all share their experiences — and talk about the pain Cleroux caused them.Every person who’s crossed paths with Cleroux has a very different story to tell, but they’ve all been left with the same question: Why does she keep doing this?Reported by Bethany Lindsay and produced by Joan Webber / Originally aired on The Current Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

Every day, hundreds of people cross the border from Sudan into Chad, searching for safety. They’re escaping a brutal civil war in Sudan which has been raging since April of 2023. In the conflict, men have routinely been rounded up and killed. Women have been raped. Homes and villages have been raided and destroyed. The conflict has forced 10.5 million people from their homes. More than 600,000 of those refugees have ended up in Eastern Chad. For many, their first stop is an area of open desert near the town of Adre. More than 200,000 people are living there right now. Shelters are made of sticks covered with scarves or plastic. Aid groups are distributing meager food and water but it’s nowhere near the standard set for an official camp. In this documentary, producer Elizabeth Hoath introduces you to a few of the people who are living in these terrible conditions. You’ll hear about what they escaped, and what they’re planning for the future. Then we travel to an official camp to meet women who are survivors of gender based violence. Sexual violence has been used as a tool in the war in Sudan but the women who managed to escape, are still not safe.Produced by Elizabeth Hoath with help from Joan Webber/Originally aired on The Current. Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

In this episode, we step inside a Toronto classroom where some 30 students from diverse backgrounds lift their voices and sing as part of the University of Toronto’s first-ever Black gospel choir class. Led by Professor Darren Hamiliton, the students, many with no background in gospel music, learn that there is more to this musical tradition than they imagined. In this documentary, Let it Shine, CBC doc producer Alisa Siegel follows these students over the course of the academic year as they discover a deeper understanding of Black musical tradition and its message of faith, freedom and joy.  Produced by Alisa Siegel, with thanks to Julia Pagel and Greg Kelly and originally aired on The CurrentStorylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

Dylan Bullock, a former firefighter with the BC Wildfire Service, has heard about close calls. Like the time a colleague lost sight of the vehicle ahead and ended up in the path of a forest fire. They had to abandon their truck after it got stuck on a tree stump and escape on foot. Another time Dylan was hospitalised after his clothes caught fire during a controlled burn, caused by improperly mixed fuel. Talk to people like Dylan, and they'll tell you fire seasons are getting hotter, harder, and more dangerous. They’ll share stories of exhaustion and near-misses. But, for some experienced workers, the mounting fatigue and risks are forcing them to quit.In Joan Webber’s documentary The Burn, former wildfire fighters in B.C. speak about how that burnout is making conditions more perilous.Produced by Joan Webber with help from Julia Pagel, this documentary originally aired on The Current. Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

Early in the morning in Winnipeg, outside a grocery store, Dmytro is about to start his shift. Dmytro, who is in their mid-20s and identifies as non-binary, has only been in Canada for 18 months. They fled Ukraine when the Russian invasion was looming and could only leave the country because of a medical condition.  However, Ukraine amended its medical military exemptions, and Dmytro now fears they would be considered fit for duty. Plus, under Ukraine’s new conscription laws, they is required to return to Ukraine and register with a military enrollment office. Dmytro, though, wants to stay in Canada.A version of this story is happening across many Ukrainian diaspora communities, as the Ukrainian government wants Ukrainian men living in countries like Canada to return and fight.But many, like Dmytro, wish to remain where they are, as going home and putting on a uniform can mean being sent to the front and fighting in a war where there is a very real possibility of being killed.However, for the Ukrainian government and for many who chose to go fight, this war is an existential fight for survival, and they need all the soldiers they can get.In his documentary "Flight or Fight," John Chipman goes to Winnipeg, where the new conscription laws are sparking tensions among Ukrainians who fled the war, and those who stayed behind to fight. It’s a conflict over what it means to be loyal to your country. Reported by John Chipman. Story Editing by Julia Pagel. The documentary originally aired on Sunday Magazine Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

30 years ago, the Stanley Cup playoffs ignited a rumour that has been messing with Jane Macdougall’s life ever since. It was June 14, 1994, and the Vancouver Canucks had made it all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the New York Rangers. The Canucks were magic on ice, so when they lost by just one goal, fans expected the team to come back blazing the next year. Instead,1995 was a total letdown. The team seemed to have lost its chemistry and when a popular defenceman was abruptly traded, stories started swirling. The rumour became that the defenceman was having an affair with the goalie’s wife, destroying team morale and leaving the franchise flailing. For nearly 30 years, Jane Macdougall (the goalie’s now ex-wife) has been dealing with the fallout of that rumour. She says she’s harangued about it constantly from all directions—strangers at parties, kids at her son’s school, even her accountant—they all have something to say about her “affair”. But not only is the rumour false, it’s not even possible. On this week’s Storylines, Acey Rowe tracks the Canucks rumour from locker rooms to chat rooms to NHL legends to figure out how a story like this snowballs, how it survived for 30 years, what really happened to the Canucks way back when, and what it is about sports fandom that makes rumours like this so common—because Jane Macdougall is far from alone. Reported and produced by Acey Rowe. Story Editing by Willa Paskin and Evan Chung from the podcast Decoder Ring by Slate Magazine. Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit.

At a union hall in Detroit’s industrial River Rouge neighborhood, workers have come together to vote for a new leader. The event feels festive, with a fire pit, a tent, and even 'walking tacos,' which are taco meat mixed into a bag of Doritos. But there are dark clouds on the horizon for the future of their industry.Many of these workers are employed by the Great Lakes Steel Works, a massive steel mill that provides raw materials for the U.S. automotive industry.These workers have a lot on their minds. The company that runs their plant, U.S. Steel, might merge with the Japanese steel company Nippon Steel. Then there’s the rise of EVs, which will potentially disrupt the U.S. automotive sector. Layoffs have already been happening. Four years ago, the steel mill shut its blast furnace, and more than a 1000 workers lost their jobs.People are worried about their futures, and how they see that future might impact the U.S. election.. Michigan’s 15 electoral college votes are critical for Biden's path if he hopes to get re-elected. Michigan is a swing state, which Biden won in the last election, but Trump took the first time he ran.To understand what’s on these Michigan workers' minds, Pete Mitton traveled to Detroit to better understand the dynamics of the upcoming election and the economic realities of the blue-collar workers there for this documentary 'Detroit Takes the Wheel'.Reported by Pete Mitton. Story Editing by John Chipman. This documentary originally aired on The Sunday Magazine.Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

In January, some New Hampshire voters thought they had gotten a robo call from Joe Biden, telling them to skip voting in the state primary. The robocall voice at the other end of the phone wasn’t Biden at all. In fact it was a deepfake, created by a political consultant working for a longshot democratic challenger to Biden. The audio itself was made by a magician in Texas, using a simple website that created the deepfake using text-to- speech audio using AI. The fake Biden robocall shows how easy it could become to use AI to disrupt an election but that isn't the whole story.In this episode of Storylines, producer Craig Desson takes us around the world to see how election officials, politicians and academics are grappling with how AI might impact our elections as hundreds of millions go to the polls this year. The situation is troubling, but there are also ways AI brings new possibilities to democracies around the world. Reported and Produced by Craig Desson. Story Editing by Joan Webber. Originally aired on Sunday Magazine. Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit 

Claire Hafner at 47, is among the top women boxers in the world. She’s just about ready for retirement but wants to win the Canadian title before hanging up her gloves. However, a question hangs over the timing of when retirement will come. Claire is also among a small group of women athletes who are participating in a landmark study on the effects of trauma in mostly combat sports. Every year she gets tested for signs of head trauma to see if all those hits are leading to a long-term degenerative brain condition, known as CTE or chronic traumatic encephalopathy.In this documentary we follow Claire to Las Vegas where she’s undergoing a new round of tests, and if they show a sign of decline, she’s going to retire before attempting to win that last Canadian title. At the end of the show we’ll hear another documentary about boxing, but this one with a surprising twist. We’re going to drop you into a chess boxing match in London,UK. You can win by a KO or by checkmate. That documentary was reported by Laura Lynch back in 2011 for Dispatches.Reported and produced by Katie Nicholson. Story Editing by Acey Rowe with help from Liz Hoath.Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

CBC producer Naheed Mustafa, then a freelance writer and broadcaster, landed at the Kabul airport on a blistering hot summer day back in 2008. She’d come to report on how the country had been transformed by the U.S. led war. By that point a lot had changed. In Kabul Afghans felt free to come and go as they pleased, women wore burkas but they also wore jeans, tunics and pretty headscarves. There had been an election too, but at the same time, a violent Taliban resurgence was underway.Mustafa didn’t know it at the time, but that resurgence would continue until the Taliban recaptured the country. It's been 10 years since Canada officially ended its mission in Afghanistan. Now, Mustafa is looking back at the documentaries she made, and listening to the voices of everyday Afghans living through a key moment in their country's history.Reported by Naheed Mustafa. Produced by Julia Pagel. Original Dispatches doc produced by Donna Cressman. Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit 

When Julia Pagel was seven months pregnant, she and her husband faced all the usual new parent decisions: making a birth plan, deciding which stroller to buy and whether to use reusable or disposable diapers. However, there was one choice that was extra tricky for the two of them. What would their child's last name be? Should they just go along with standard practice of giving the baby the father’s last name? The tradition of giving the dad’s name to the child didn’t sit right with Julia, but her husband had come to Canada from Serbia as a 9-year-old, and his last name meant a lot to him. So Julia set out on a mission, to see how others had managed this last name quandary.The documentary was reported by Julia Pagel and story editing by Karen Levine.

On May 1st the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion will begin commercial operations. It marks the end of a 12 year saga that included protests, legal challenges and the purchase of the pipeline itself by the federal government. When Ottawa stepped in to buy TMX six years ago, it had an estimated price tag of $7.4 billion dollars. Today the cost has grown to $34 billion dollars. As the polarizing project nears the finish line, CBC producer Allison Dempster visits communities along the pipeline route, from Edson, Alberta to Burnaby, B.C. She meets people who worked on the project, people who campaigned against it and Indigenous leaders who one day hope to own it. In the second half of the show, we join Anna Maria Tremonti on a road trip she took along the route back in 2019. She hears from Western Canadians deeply divided on the pipeline project. As you’ll hear, the expansion is almost complete, but the debate over its legacy is far from over.Reported by Allison Dempster. Produced by Jennifer Chevalier.Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit 

Mary Kajumba needed money to make a better life for her daughter. So, with the help of a placement agency she left her home in Uganda, and went to Iraq where she got a job as a restaurant cleaner. It wasn’t long after she realised she was in trouble. Mary says she found herself working 18 hour days, sharing cramped accommodation with 30 other workers and never getting paid. But then, help came from an unexpected place. Voice memos, from a man in Vancouver who was working for an anti trafficking organisation. This week on Storylines freelance journalist Jazzmin Jiwa brings us Mary’s story. We follow Mary as she tries to break free from the shackles of human trafficking and forced labour with the help of an NGO. Stories like Mary’s can be found across the Middle East, where workers from sub-Saharan Africa are trafficked, transported, threatened and forced to work for little to no wages. They find themselves working as cleaners and domestic servants, after landing jobs through recruitment agencies that don’t ask many questions about working conditions.Reported by Jazzmin Jiwa. Produced by John Chipman. Story Editing by Julia Pagel and Liz Hoath. This documentary was supported by the Pulitzer Center.Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

Over the past near-century, Academy Award categories have come and gone. In the silent film era there was an award for Best Title Writing. You know, the written cards that summarized the “dialogue”? Oscar worthy. This year’s 96th Academy Awards broadcast saw Oscars handed out in a whopping 23 different categories, from the big wins like Best Picture, to awards for behind-the-scenes expertise in costuming and score. But one group of people thinks there should be yet another added to that list: best stunts. Stunt actors are real life action heroes behind the biggest movies, but it’s unlikely we know their names and faces, at least not if they’re doing their jobs right. They risk life and limb to bring films to life. The chariot race in Ben-Hur? The entire Fast and Furious franchise? None of them would be possible without stunt coordinators and performers. On this week's Storylines, Joan Webber tells the story of a decades-long effort to get stunt workers their Oscar due.Produced by Joan Webber. Story editing by Julia Pagel. Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit